Author: gleanernewspaper

On Monday, January 26, 2026, the Minister of Finance, Sheku Ahmed Fantamadi Bangura, reassured a World Bank scoping team of Sierra Leone’s continued commitment to deepening reforms in Public Financial Management (PFM) to deliver improved public services. The assurances came as he officially welcomed the World Bank’s scoping mission for the proposed Strengthening Accountability and Local Oversight for the New Generation Public Financial Management Project, a program aimed at improving financial oversight, accountability, and efficiency in public sector operations.The multidisciplinary mission, which was introduced to the Minister by World Bank Country Manager Abdu Muwonge, will consult with a wide range…

His Excellency, President Dr Julius Maada Bio, has highlighted Sierra Leone’s emergence as a continental trade reform leader, announcing the country’s historic achievement as the first to complete and publish its National AfCFTA Readiness Assessment and Schedule of Commitments, as well as making a compelling case for investors to partner with Sierra Leone’s growing digital and industrial economies. On Wednesday, January 21, 2026, President Bio spoke as Co-Chair of the Forum Friends of the AfCFTA Breakfast Meeting on the margins of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Davos 2026. He described the milestone as a product of bold national leadership forged…

Freetown, Sierra Leone, January 2026— The MoPED collaborated with AFRITAC West 2, supported by the International Monetary Fund, to conduct a ten-day Technical Assistance Mission from January 12-21, 2026. The mission aimed to improve alignment between national development priorities, public investment planning, and the national budget. The engagement sought to strengthen institutional capacity within MoPED’s Directorates of Planning and Public Investment, improve coordination with the Ministry of Finance (MoF), and ensure that strategic plans are consistently translated into funded and implemented projects.The mission began with a courtesy call from Madam Kenyeh Barlay, Minister of Planning and Economic Development, who reaffirmed…

On Thursday, January 22, 2026, Ms Reem Alabali-Radovan, Minister of Planning and Economic Cooperation in the Federal Republic of Germany, led a delegation to two development project sites in Gbinti, Dibia Chiefdom in Karene District, and Newton in Western Area Rural. The visits highlighted Germany’s support for a homegrown school feeding programme in Karene District, as well as a number of rural development initiatives aimed at improving food security, livelihoods, and green skills among women and youth. The German-funded school feeding program currently serves 25,000 primary school students across 115 schools in the Karene District. The scheme, developed in collaboration…

President Julius Maada Bio released the White Paper on Constitutional Review on January 13, 2022. On 30th July 2013, President Ernest Bai Koroma established a broad-based Constitutional Review Committee (CRC) to lead a national effort to review and strengthen Sierra Leone’s 1991 Constitution. The CRC, comprising eighty members and representing political parties, democratic institutions, non-governmental organisations, the media, and key independent bodies, was tasked with conducting extensive civic education and public consultations, as well as making recommendations for constitutional reform. As the CRC itself stated, “The major civic education and consultation process undertaken by the CRC gave the people the opportunity to…

Swiss city of Davos, January 20, 2026. On the sidelines of the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone and Abdullah KH ALMUSAIBEEH, President of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), committed to strengthening their partnership.President Bio briefed BADEA’s president on the status of the bank’s existing projects in Sierra Leone and outlined the government’s priorities for future engagement. He emphasised BADEA’s role in assisting with the implementation of the country’s Medium-term National Development Plan, claiming that the bank’s interventions have been critical in key sectors such as infrastructure, agriculture…

His Excellency Zhao Yong, the newly appointed Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the Republic of Sierra Leone, paid a formal courtesy call on the Honourable Chief Justice of Sierra Leone, Justice Komba Kamanda, on January 20, 2025, and promised to strengthen collaboration between the Chinese Embassy and the Sierra Leone Judiciary during his tenure.Ambassador Zhao expressed gratitude for the Chief Justice’s warm welcome and praised the existing cordial working relationship between the Judiciary and the Chinese Embassy. He stated that his mission in Sierra Leone would focus on consolidating the long-standing bilateral ties between the People’s Republic…

After being called to testify before the Parliamentary Committee on Trade and Industry, Johny Kouza, the CEO of Accord Logistics, received harsh criticism from the Sierra Leonean Parliament. The Rt. Hon. Speaker Segepoh Solomon Thomas publicly chastised Kouza during an appearance in the Bar of Parliament, calling his behaviour toward the Committee and the legislature intolerable and possibly constituting contempt of Parliament.Addressing Kouza directly, the Speaker made it clear that refusing to comply with any Standing Committee summons would constitute contempt and result in the full force of the law. He reminded the CEO that Parliament has the authority to…

Africell CEO Shadi Gerjawi Africell Group has introduced Africell Business, a dedicated enterprise brand aimed at accelerating digital transformation for corporate institutions and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Sierra Leone. The launch event, held at The Leads Hotel in Aberdeen, Freetown, was attended by senior government officials, private sector leaders, corporate clients, and development partners, emphasising the company’s intention to position itself as a strategic partner in the country’s digital economy.According to Africell CEO Shadi Gerjawi, the Africell Business initiative represents a deliberate shift away from providing standard telecommunications services and toward tailored, end-to-end enterprise solutions. According to Gerjawi,…

Chief Minister Dr David Moinina Sengeh convened a targeted stakeholder meeting to discuss a variety of issues affecting chieftaincy governance and local administration, such as chiefdom de-amalgamation, extended regency periods, outstanding court disputes, redistricting, and capacity building for local governments. Dr Sengeh emphasised in his opening remarks that chieftaincy and local governance issues are frequently discussed at the National Security Council and in presidential briefings, highlighting their strategic importance to national stability. He acknowledged that recent efforts to de-amalgamate chiefdoms have exacerbated tensions in some areas, particularly over land ownership, boundary delineation, and relations between neighbouring paramount chiefs. Dr Sengeh…